The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-02-24

nua] reports of the Inspectors of Prisons and Jais
of Maine and of the Warden and subordinate ofi-
GERS of the State Prison for the year 1855, which
make pamphlet of l25 pages. The appendix con
tains an extract from the report of the bureau of
labor statistics Of the state Illinois for the year
1856; letter on convict labor by H. X. Brockway,
general superintendent of the New York state Re
formatory, and an Abstract of the History of Maine
state Prison lS22 sSd, by }. W. Porter, The latter
Is valuable document. The following are stats-
tics of the State prison:
Number Of convicts in custody Dee. |, lSS5 49,. Isl
committed since. 4S
Total 2:;0
Discharged during the year by expiration of
:, sentence, -.............. 10
Removed to Insane Hospital. al.................. |
Deceased NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. -.
60
Present number 40
The convicts are serving sentence for thiry-f five
different grades of crime Twenty one are for
murder 32 in for life and one is under sentence
to be Banged. The lao con>icts are divided among
the counties as follows: Andros"oggin, IA: Aroos-
took, IA; Cumberland 45; Franklin, Hancock, >;
kennehcc, 10; Knox, 9; Lincoln, 4, Oxford, D. Pc
nohscot. II: Pi-cataqus, ); Sagatlahoc, :: Somcr-
set, 4; Waldo ;; Washington, 5; York, Is; United
States Court, ).
The teacher reports improvements in the c'luca-
ti"nal branch of the institutions although the aver
age number committed need instruction in all the
primary branches. He says; "A sea captain has
learned his A b C's here and is now able to write
letters TO his wife and children, and ought to be
better able to steer his vessel, well as himself,
over the seas, and bring each into safe harbor at
the last. He has received letters from former own.
crs stating that they have vessel for him rs soon
as his sentence expires
In the matter of jails the inspectors say that
seven and just treatment has not been mete,l out
to prisoners i'll all cases. 1t does not follow that
because a convict prisoner has money friends
that they should be provided with luxurious apart
ments and furnishings" They say that not long
since i'll one of the large as of the state they saw
woman Convicted of a heinous crime .'cnioviny "A
double cell with carpets and portiprcS, and extra
filrniture and two poodle dogs" The inspectors
say that it seems strange to them that counties
without jals seem to have less crime than counties
that nave juil>."
They make the usual report concerning the Wal
do county Jail
This Jail continues to be the poorest Jail in the
state IN most respects. With the building ut his
mand such ;is it is we do not feel ca led ur,n f.,
blame the sheriff, who would, without doubt in a
respectable Jail. ~how much better results The
law provides that the iaier shall live in the house
provided for him. Tie evident meaning of the
law Is that Il house shaH he provided for him, hut
through penny wise and pound foolish policy,
thc county does not own house for the iacr. The
jallcrs house was burnt in lS>5 and no steps have
been taken t" comply with the obvious intention of
the law. The sheriff cannot do his duty hv Jail
unless he resides on the ground near hv The cost
tn lIl ~ Iip
would not he large, and the Inspectors hope il may
he clone before another year.
IN speaking of the kemchcr county Jail they
say 'This Jail is one of the finest structures of
its kind in the state, beautifully located an honor
to the county"
Now let US look at these two institutions, the
one the Inspectors call the worst and the other
the best in the State. In the kcnnebec county
Jail there We're committed for the year ending
Nov 30, ls~'i 'ai2 people. OF that Number Dob for
drunkenness, In Wal.lo county for the same time
there We're 2l1 committed, llD for drunkenness
We presume it is the same at Augusta ls in Bel
fast, the great majority of those committed for
drunkenness are tramps. Our Jail is quite good
enough for this class, and those who ,lu not like
are welcome to go to the palatial quarters at Au-
guSta. If better Jail will bring u any more
tramp> we had better let the old one remain Our
jail, assuming the report of the Inspectors to be
correct, complies with the ideas of the founders
of the state prison. They said tia. estate pris-
"ns should be so constructed that even their as
pcrt might be terrific, and appear like What in fact
they should he, dark and confortlcse ahodr~ OF
guilt and Wretchc'mcss.'
knox, PiscataquS and >ayaahor counties have
no ialls. The jail in Franklin county Wa burned
in October last. Iianrork county has Il new ail
completed in Jan. lsSt; ut Il cost of 81 Zoo. OF
oxford county Jail the Inspectors say cone of the
most remarkable escapes we have ever know n took
place At this Jail. A prisoner was safely uckrd in
his cell while the iailrr WAS absent Il few hours
and upon his return he found the prisoner mad
escaped. while the ,ioorS cell and ilil and rate
We're all securely locked" They say if this j..
true "the escape is more wonderful than the open
ing of the Jail in the days of Paul and >ilas." In
somerset county they say This jail seems, in
some degree, tn run itself. Prisoners seem t. have
facilities for escape which should not bc allowed, !"